Chastened Strachan fails to heed signs

The Celtic manager appears no closer to finding a solution for his sides defensive frailties after another abject display at Fir Park, writes Simon Buckland

IN scoreline terms it was the same result for both managers, but the reality was nothing like that. At Fir Park yesterday, Celtic’s season had gone from bad to farce with a 4-4 draw and Gordon Strachan knew it. While Terry Butcher, his Motherwell counterpart, loudly pronounced himself “ecstatic” in the aftermath; Strachan, in contrast, was barely audible, but you didn’t need to hear his disappointment. You could see it. The way his defenders are playing it is as if they are not hearing him right either.

“We may have to look at our defending,” muttered Butcher, but he was smiling as he said it. Nothing could take his pleasure away at the extraordinary goings on. Trailing 3-1 at the interval he thought Maurice Malpas, his assistant, had got to the dressing room first when he heard shouting, only to realise it was his own players arguing between themselves. He